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1962 BSCC Season
The fifth season of the British Saloon Car Championship was held in 1962, using the same regulations which proved popular the previous year.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1962%20BSCC.html 1962 proved to be one of the closest championship battles of the early years of the BSCC, with the title going down to the final meeting. Regulations For 1962, the BSCC continued to use the International Touring Car regulations, known as FIA Group 2. This was the first time that the BSCC had used consistent regulations between series. Classes For 1962, the BSCC continued to use the four class system which had been established the previous season. Points For 1962, the BSCC used the same points system as before, which awarded the top four finishers in each class points, with an additional point awarded for the driver who set the fastest lap. The points are shown below: The Driver's two worst finishes were dropped from their results. Round by Round This section is for a round by round report for each race of the season. First Round: 1962 Snetterton I (Lombank Trophy) As in 1961, the BSCC season began by supporting the Lombank Trophy (coincidently the third time that the Trophy race had complied to Formula One regulations), although the Tourers were given significantly more track time, with a 25 lap race. Six of the previous years Jaguars returned to the grid, claiming the first six positions in the race. Michael Parkes continued his form from the end of the previous season, taking victory from Jack Sears and Graham Hill (who would run in the BSCC alongside his triumphant Formula One campaign). With no entries in Class C (a growing trend in the BSCC), it was Class B, led by Alan Hutcheson, who finished behind the squabbling Jags. Hutcheson led the Class from start to finish, followed by the Sunbeam of Peter Jopp and a second Riley run by Edward Lewis. In Class A, John Whitmore's title defence was short lived as team mate John Love took victory, debuting the new Mini Cooper (with entries from Austin and Morris). Christabel Carlisle continued to impress, claiming her third podium in the series in her own Mini Cooper. Interestingly, Class A was split, with three cars (a Morris Mini Minor and two DKW Junior de Luxes) running in their own sub-class for under 850cc cars. John Aley had intended to use a third DKW car, however a failure before the race saw him enter in his wife's Mini Minor. The DKWs, with German drivers Peter Ruby and Wolf-Dieter Mantzel at the wheel, were disqualified from the race, meaning Aley, using the heavily used Morris, took victory in the mini class. Second Round: 1962 Goodwood (St Mary's Trophy) The grid met for the second round of the season at Goodwood, competing for the St Mary's Trophy once again. The six Jags from Snetterton were supported by another entry by Peter Dodd, who would finish sixth after Parkes retired from the race. Hill took victory after an epic duel with Parkes, while Salvadori and Sears finished second and third respectively. Class C was once again absent from the race. Behind the Jags came Hutcheson, who cruised to his second victory in Class B, beating Peter Harper and Jopp in their Rapiers. Class A ran as a whole again, and threw an unexpected and historic result. The Cooper Car Co. trio of Love, Whitmore and Bill Blydenstein led the race early on, but, before the race got to half distance, all suffered tyre failures, as their Dunlop SP tyres fell apart. Victory was therefore handed to Christabel Carlisle in her Don Moore run Mini Cooper, who became the first woman to win a class in BSCC history. Third Round: 1962 Aintree I Once again, the BSCC headed to Aintree, with the seven Jags leading the field. Hill took victory once again, after a poor start from Parkes sent him tumbling down the Class D field (finishing fifth in Class). Salvadori cruised to second in the race, fending of a challenge from David Hobbs. Sears finished fourth while Baillie and Dodd rounded off the Class D Jag pack, while Peter Sachs finished a troubled eighth in his Chevrolet Chevy II.. Class B continued their run of finishing behind Class D, as Hutcheson and Harper battled to the finish (with Harper finishing 0.4 seconds behind). Third in Class B went to Jopp, although his race was stalled after he fell behind a four way battle between the Minis of Class A. Love beat Whitmore to the victory, as the Cooper Car Co. claimed a one-two-four finish (with Tony Maggs finishing fourth). Carlisle claimed her third podium of the season in her Morris Mini Cooper. Aintree was also the first time in 1962 that Class C had representation, with Nicky Byrne entering a Mercedes-Benz 220 SEb. The Merc struggled against the lighter cars of Classes A and B, battling with Minis and DKWs. Fourth Round: 1962 Silverstone (The "Bowmaker" Trophy) The field headed to Silverstone, supporting the XIV International Trophy (known that year as the "Bowmaker" Trophy, won by Hill). A wet race, Hill claimed the Touring car race as well, as the field lost two of the Jags. Parkes and Sears followed Hill in their own private battle, while Hobbs fought a rear-guard action against the returning Chevy II in the hands of Charles Kelsey. Class B followed the more powerful cars, as Harper kept his cool in rain, after Hutcheson and Blydenstein spun (the latter retiring as a result). Pilsworth and Jopp finished second and third, although their performances were overshadowed by an epic duel in Class A. Love and Whitmore spent virtually the entire race together on the track, as the Minis looked to over take Harper in Class B. Liz Jones in her Downton 997 Cooper's first outing battling to fourth in Class A. Class C finally had a race on show, with four cars on the grid. Innes Ireland took victory in his Ford Zodiac Mk III, from Maurice Trintignant and David Haynes. The BSCC also received a blast from the past as former champion Jeff Uren returned in his Ford Zephyr. Fifth Round: XIII Crystal Palace Trophy Round five, and once again the Class C cars were noted for their absence from the field. Supporting another non-championship Formula One race, it would be the Jaguar Mk II driven by Salvadori who claimed victory (before going on to finish second in the F1 spec race). Team mate Jack Sears followed him across the line, while Charles Kelsey looked to have secured the first podium for an American built car in the BSCC, only to be disqualified as his car lacked a silencer. Hence, Baillie joined the John Coombs racers on the podium, his first visit for a year. Behind the Jaguar/Chevy battle came Peter Harper, who cruised to another victory in Class B after a failing engine sent Hutcheson tumbling down the field (ultimately finishing third in class). Jopp claimed second in his Riley, behind another epic race for the Mini Coopers of Class A. Whitmore and Love led the class early on, however they were being constantly attacked by Carlisle in third. Carlisle took Love on lap three, before taking the lead away from Whitmore a lap later, also claiming fastest lap. However, with a short distance to go, Carlisle's clutch failed, ultimatly ending her impressive drive and allow Love (who also overtook Whitmore) to take the class victory. Sixth Round: 1962 Aintree II (British Grand Prix) The BSCC achieved a major milestone in 1962, when it was accepted to support the official British Grand Prix of 1962, held at the Aintree circuit in Liverpool. With record crowds expected, the BSCC wanted to put on a show, and proceeded to do so. At the front of the field, a Jaguar dogfight saw Bob Jane retire from the race with overheating issues, after defending resolutely from Jack Sears, Parkes and Baillie. Peter Dodd rounded off the finishers in Class D, after Kelsey's Chevy II retired with a failed water hose. Behind the dogfighting Jags came Harper in Class B, who fought the hardest of any driver to recover from eighteenth after a spin. His main rival in the race, Hutcheson, had led the class, until lap fourteen when he, and the recovering Harper, touched at College Corner. The Riley of Hutcheson caught the grass at the edge of the track, sending it into a roll (Hutcheson was not injured) which meant that Jopp and Lewis would complete the Class B podium. Splitting Class B were the Minis of Class A, as Love and Carlisle threw their little cars at the larger Sunbeams and Rileys. Love took the Class A win, having clung onto Harper's rear bumber after the latter swept past him with three laps left. Carlisle claimed her fourth podium of the year, while Whitmore recovered from an early spin to finish third in class. Meanwhile, Nicky Byrne's Mercedes was the only entrant in Class C and hence cruised to an easy class victory, well down the overall field. Seventh Round: 1962 Brands Hatch (The Molyslip Trophy) Race seven of the season was held at the BSCC's spiritual home of Brands Hatch, where the Touring Cars were fighting as the featured race of the day. The winner of the race (held in pouring rain) would receive the Molyslip Trophy for their efforts, and (as expected) it would be the Jags of Class D that fought for the trophy. The Jags escaped the melee at Paddock HIll Bend (caused by Byrne's Mercedes in Class C) with Parkes, Sears and Salvadori ultimately finishing on the podium, after Graham Hill ploughed into the banking (most likely suffering from fatigue after his German GP drive the day before). Baillie and Dodds rounded off the Jag pack at the front of the field. Behind them, the leading trio of Coopers fought for the Class A honours, with John Love emerging victorious from Bill Blydenstein. Their work was overshadowed, however, by the recovery of Christabel Carlisle, who slipped her Mini from twentieth (having been collected by Byrne at Paddock Hill Bend) to eigth, overtaking Class B and C cars alike to catch up to Blydenstein. Behind them came a pair of Class C cars, the Zodiac of David Haynes and the Vauxhall Velox (making its debut) of John Sutton, with Byrne completing the Class C podium. Class B rouned off the field, with a huge fight between the Sunbeams of Jopp and Harper, the Riley of Lewis and Bill Aston's Vauxhall VX 4/90. As other cars slid past the quartet, Jopp was able to defend from Aston and Harper, as the latter two fought to win the Class. Eighth Round: 1962 Oulton Park (XI Gold Cup) Once again, the season was completed with the BSCC supporting the Gold Cup race at Oulton Park. The Jaguars only ran at half strength at the front of the field, as Salvadori crashed into the lake in practice, while Dodd and Baillie could not attend. Hence Graham Hill (just three races from claiming his Formula One World Championship) took victory from Jack Sears and a struggling Parkes, making it sixteen straight victories for the Mk II in 1961 and 62. Next over the line came John Love, who won both the Class A title and the Bonneville Trophy by winning his class. He had battled with championship rival Peter Harper (in Class B), during the race, only having to equal (or finish within a single position in class) the Sunbeam driver's finish. Joining Love on the podium were Blydenstein and Denny Hulme, after Carlisle's season finished prematurely with another clutch failure. Entries A table of entrants may be entered here, using the following table: Final Standings Champions John Love became the first winner of the BSCC from outside of the British Isles, as his Mini Cooper took the man from Rhodesia to the title in the final round of the season. Class B was won by Peter Harper in his Sunbeam Rapier, while the under represented Class C was taken by David Haynes. Class D saw Jack Sears (completing an almost full season for the first time since he won the 1958 championship) take the honours, as the Jags took points away from each other throughout the season, allowing the less powerful cars to take the championship. References Videos and Images: * References: Category:Seasons